Five times increase in budget allocation for northeast under BJP Govt :::: "We are expecting a lot from new Manipur Governor Bhalla," says CM Biren Singh

"More than five times yearly budgetary allocation has been increased for railway infrastructure development work in the Northeast region for the current year in comparison to the period 2009-14," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday, Jan 3.

Vaishnaw and Assam CM Himanta 

Three new trains were flagged off in Guwahati on Friday by Union Minister Vaishnaw. Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles Pabitra Margherita were present at the Guwahati Railway Station, apart from other MPs and MLAs at various other locations. 

The newly introduced trains include Guwahati-New Bongaigaon daily passenger, Tinsukia-Naharlagun tri-weekly Express and Guwahati-North Lakhimpur Bi-weekly Jan Shatabdi Express.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between NIELIT and Tata Electronics Pvt. Ltd. and exchanged in the presence of the Ministers present on the occasion. National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), a premier institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has been recognised as a deemed to be university under a distinct category by the University Grants Commission.

According to an official statement, the main campus in Ropar, along with its 11 constituent units in Agartala, Aizawl, Ajmer, Aurangabad, Calicut, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Gorakhpur, Patna and Srinagar, NIELIT deemed to be university is set to redefine learning.

"It will provide undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes in emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, semiconductor design & manufacturing, Cyber Security and Forensics, Internet of Things, Automotive Electronics, Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology etc. 

The curriculum would be developed with the industry and for the industry, ensuring that the workforce will acquire skills as per industry needs," the official statement said.

A new FM Transmitter at Akashvani Kokrajhar was also inaugurated.

This will benefit more than 30 lakh residents in the region, including those in Dhubri, Bongaigaon and Chirang districts, providing them with access to clearer and high-quality FM broadcasts. 

The Central government is committed to transforming India into a leading hub for semiconductor manufacturing, while preparing a skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of the industry, said the Union Railways and Electronics and IT Minister  Vaishnaw. 

The minister announced the launch of NIELIT University, highlighting that it is inspired by the vision of the Prime Minister to prepare professionals in cutting-edge fields such as Semiconductor Manufacturing, Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0, and Quantum Computing. 

The new campus of NIELIT will be developed in Jagiroad town near Guwahati, which will focus on semiconductor manufacturing and electronics manufacturing.

Former Home Secy Ajay Kumar Bhalla takes oath as Manipur Governor  

"We are expecting a lot from the new Governor. He would definitely utilise his experience in building peace," Chief Minister N Biren Singh said.

"The past is past, I appeal to all communities to unitedly work together, find a lasting solution to the conflict and make Manipur prosperous,"  he said. 

Manipur High Court Chief Justice D. Krishnakumar administered the oath of office and secrecy to new Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan.  Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and his Cabinet colleagues, top security and civil officials were present in the ceremony, conducted by Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi.

During the 20-month-long ethnic violence that commenced in May 2023 , over 250 men and women of both communities were killed, over 1,000 were injured and more than 60,000 people were displaced from their homes and villages.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh recently said that bringing a solution to the ongoing ethnic strife in the state would take time as the situation has become complex, chronic and fragile. He, however, tendered apology.  

"The state and Central security forces along with the civil administration are doing their best to maintain the violence-free situation and to deliver services to the people," CM Singh had told the media. 

"My apology to those innocent people who have lost their lives in the violence but not for militants who died in the conflicts. 

Many innocent people have lost their lives, many people have lost their loved ones. I seek apology to them but not to militants," CM Singh had responded to media queries.

Biren Singh 

ends